Clayton A. Chan, D.D.S. Founder/Director

About Dr. Chan

Dr. Clayton Chan is a dental educator, trainer and consultant to dentists who span the globe from private practice to leading dental organizations. All attest to Dr. Chan's unique impact in the field of private practice, personal and organizational transformation and development.

Dr. Chan has shared platforms with leading authorities in the areas of occlusion, temporomandibular joint dysfunction, orthodontic/orthopedics and comprehensive restorative and continues to be a leader in advocating the use of objective measuring technologies to bring accountability to the clinical dental practice.

Occlusion Connections™ is designated as an Approved PACE Program Provider by the Academy of General Dentistry. The formal continuing dental education programs of this program provider are accepted by AGD for Fellowship/Mastership and membership maintenance credit. Approval does not imply acceptance by a state or provincial board of dentistry or AGD endorsement. The current term of approval extends from 9/1/2016 to 8/31/2020. Provider ID# 349336.

Welcome to OC

A new understanding is required of today’s dentist to grasp underlying factors that relates clinical dentistry to both the gnathic and neuromuscular principles. This journey is a blended process that brings an in depth understanding with clinical experience. Together with excellence based on honesty, respect, discipline and courage these organic concepts will come together in both skilled clinical application and bio-physiologic science. This is GNM.

Finding a Qualified GNM Dentist

Disclosure:
It is the responsibility of each patient to ask the right questions in order to determine whether a dentist is qualified to meet your particular dental needs. Dentist have varying degrees of knowledge, experience, training and skills. Occlusion Connections™ is not responsible for the diagnostic and clinical decision making that each dentist makes when treating their patients.

The dentist listed on this map have taken varying levels of OC courses. It is your responsibility to determine if each one is qualified to treat and help meet your particular needs.

The astute clinician and patient can not assume the maxillo cranial complex is level when there exists hypertension in the masticatory muscles. Muscle can skew and torque the underlying bones, thus the maxilla/cranium as well as occiput and cervical spine may not always be balance. If the mandible is out of balance them most likely all the other bones mentioned and more will also be out of balance. This why it is important to find a stable mandible to maxilary relationship in order to establish a proper occlusion whether for phase I TMD, orthodontics or restorative occlusal dentistry.

Before GNM Orthotic Treatment

Note: the cervical neck does not align with the atlas (C1 – outlined) and midsagittal plane.

After GNM Orthotic Treatment

Many dentists and clinicians do not realize how powerful the effects of an incorrect mandibular position, or incorrect occlusion, or as simple as a high filling or crown can have devastating effects on the cranial atlas and vertebral alignment. Cranial distortions naturally ensue due to the imbalance of muscles that begin to strain the skull bones internally and externally as well. It is the muscles that are under abnormal tension from imbalanced occlusion both in a centric position as well as all functional mandibular positions that must not be ignored if one desires to get the cranial mandibular bones back in alignment.

The key to postural alignment and cranial alignment is not the adjusting of the bones with manual manipulating therapy, but in fact the dentist needs to get the occlusion/bite back in order in a detailed manner so all the muscles of mastication can function in harmony without strain and abnormal forces. This is what a GNM occlusion can do.

Note: Atlas (C1) now aligns with midsagital plane of cranium and cervical processes. What this also indicates is that the positive effects of an optimized mandibular to maxillary relationship and GNM occlusion significant contributes to these changes.

Cranial and cervical mal alignments do not stop displaying themselves in the upper sections of the head and neck regions but will continue to extend themselves as underlying postural distortions and mal-alignments throughout the body system (head to toe). If one part of the body system is out of alignment other parts of the postural system will be out of alignment. The masticatory system (occlusion) is key to re-establishing and maintaining the overall bodies postural system.

I believe stability of all the postural distortions including cranial begins with a good quality bite relationship between the upper and lower arches (establishing a terminal stop). Secondly, create freedom of entry and exit from this terminal stop position so the mandible can function freely. When the muscles are happy, the cranial and postural distortions begin to unravel. Hyperactive muscles as you know create havoc on underlying bones, thus contributing to abnormal posture. This is why GNM optimization protocols are important.